You're going to get an earfull about the differences, however for
about $20-40 more you can get the SMCP 135mm f2.5, which is not to be
confused in any way with the Takumar. You can read a review of the
Pentax 135 f2.5 here
<http://www.photozone.de/pentax/143-pentax-smc-k-135mm-f25-review--lab-test-report>
The only reason that the 135mm lenses are so inexpensive is that they
fell out of fashion about two decades ago, but prior to that they were
probably the second most manufactured lens.
If you want a faster telephoto, save your pennies and find a SMCP 135mm
f2.5, (or if you must have full aperture automation one of the A F or FA
2.8s). Getting the M 135 f3.5 in the meantime for $45 is a good stop
gap, you can always sell it on ebay for about what you paid for it.
The Takumar would be a good portrait lens used wide open, but it's never
been called sharp wide open by anyone who used one of the other 135s, in
fact a lot of people haven't even called it sharp stopped down.
Note: I didn't even mention the SMC A* 135 f1.8, for two reasons, it's
damned expensive, and now that Pentax has a viable DSLR presence, I've
seen none for sale, it's become a "cold dead hands" thing*.
*Not that it wasn't that before, just more so.
On 10/12/2010 12:40 PM, Eric Weir wrote:
Following a treat of breakfast at a wonderful little Ethiopian restaurant here,
I stopped by Wings Camera, which sells mostly used stuff, a couple doors down.
Went to the Pentax shelf to see what they had. First lens I picked up was a
Takumar 135/2.5. Over the weekend a couple folks suggested the Pentax M 135/3.5
as a great, inexpensive option to consider for my trip to Northern Arizona.
They'll take $40 for the Takumar, but the Pentax is available from KEH, also
right here in Atlanta, for $45 to $65. I'm wondering if anyone here's familiar
with the Takumar and might have a sense of how it compares to the Pentax.
Thanks,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
Decatur, GA USA
[email protected]
--
"His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral
bankruptcy."
-Woody Allen
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